The Ultimate Fighting Championship is gearing up to return to Abu Dhabi this summer.
According to Ag. Fight on Thursday, Marlon Vera (23-9-1) and Deiveson Figueiredo (23-3-1) have agreed to a bantamweight showdown at UFC on ABC 7. The two fighters have not yet officially signed a contract, but a verbal agreement has been reached, according to the report. If the bout goes ahead, it would take place on August 3 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Vera later confirmed the matchup on his Instagram Story and in other media outlets. The only bouts currently listed on the card are 135-pound Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov.
In his last bout, Vera lost a bantamweight title fight to Sean O’Malley. The striker, who came out on top at UFC 299, was outdone by the champion, with “Chito” losing for the second time in three bouts. Vera is one win away from a gold medal opportunity in 2023, when he beat Pedro Munoz by decision. Moreover, the Ecuadorian has fought O’Malley in the past, defeating “Sugar Sean” in 2020 with a leg kick followed by ground-and-pound.
A former flyweight champion, Figueiredo moved up a weight class in late 2023 and hasn’t looked back since. Just shy of his 36th birthday, Figueiredo made his 135-pound debut with a win over Rob Font. He returned to the cage just over five months later in the opening round of UFC 300, tapping in to beat Cody Garbrandt via rear-naked choke and establishing himself as a leading contender in the new division. A two-time 125-pound champion, Figueiredo first captured the belt in 2020 by putting Joseph Benavidez to sleep via choke, then reclaimed it two years later against Brandon Moreno during a four-part title fight.
